Here is a Basic Guide to help you decide whether you should Exclude or Restrict an employee when the following symptoms are presented.
|
Health Status of Employee |
Restrict or Exclude |
Inform Health Department and /or Doctor |
When Can Employee return to work? |
|
Employee is sneezing, coughing, runny nose which causes discharges from the eyes, nose or mouth |
Restrict |
No |
Employee can return to normal duties once the symptoms have stopped. |
|
Experiencing one or more of the following symptoms: diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, sore throat with fever, open sore |
Restrict |
No, unless more than one employee is ill with similar symptoms or employee was source of illness in others |
If ill employee did not cause an illness in someone else, he can work once symptoms have stopped. If he is suspected of being part of a food borne illness outbreak, he will also need written medical certificate from a Doctor and regulatory authority approval. If an open sore can be covered with a water tight covering, the employee can work as normal
|
|
Diagnosed with one of these very contagious diseases: Salmonella Typhi, Shigella spp., E. coli , or Hepatitis A |
Exclude |
Yes |
If symptoms are present, the employee must wait until they resolve. The employee will also need written medical certificate from a Doctor and approval from the Health Department. |
|
Diagnosed with any other disease which is transmissible through food such as Salmonellas, Giardiasis and Campylobacteriosis |
Restrict |
Yes |
If symptoms are present, the employee must wait until they resolve. The employee will also need written medical certificate form a Doctor and approval from the Health Department. |
|
Employee was ill with Salmonella Typhi within the last three months. |
Exclude |
Yes |
The employee will need to provide written medical certificate from a Doctor, and written documentation to the Health Department. |
|
Employee was ill with Shigella spp., E. coli within the past month |
Exclude |
Yes |
The employee will need to provide written medical certificate from a Doctor and written documentation to the Health Department. |
|
Employee was ill with any other disease which is transmissible through food within the past month |
Restrict |
Yes |
The employee will need to provide written medical certificate from the Doctor and written documentation to the Health Department. |
|
Employee has become jaundiced within the past 7 days |
Exclude |
Yes |
The employee must be excluded for at least 7 days from the onset of jaundice. After 7 days, the employee can work if he is free of all symptoms, has written medical certificate from a Doctor and approval from the Health Department. |
|
Employee lives with someone who was diagnosed with Hepatitis A or Salmonella Typhi |
Exclude |
Yes |
For Hepatitis A, the employee will need to be excluded for 28 days unless he receives Immune Globulin within 2 weeks of exposure. For Salmonella Typhi, employee will need to provide medical certificate form the Doctor and written documentation approval from the Health Department |
How do I know if I serve the “general population”?
Most food service establishments serve the general population. As a Restaurant, you do serve the " general population" Those that do not serve the general population are food establishments which operate in facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, daycare centers, boarding schools. Such establishments will have more stringent requirements for excluding and restricting ill employees because they are considered to serve a highly susceptible population. A highly susceptible population is a group of people who are more likely than others to experience food borne disease because they are immunocompromised due to old age, very young age, or a medical condition. All other food establishments serve the general population.
What is “written medical certificate”?
Written medical documentation, if required, means that the ill employee must have written proof that he is free of any disease which could be transmitted to others through food. In most cases, this will be satisfied by providing copies of lab tests, however, in certain situations, it will require a written note from a licensed doctor. The written documentation must be provided to the Health Department in your Province. The Health Department can tell you what will be needed for each situation in order to have an exclusion or restriction lifted.
Who is the “Health department”?
The health department is usually the local Board of Health in the town or city in which the establishment is licensed. In some cases, such as a large outbreak, it may be the South African Department of Public Health.
What does it mean to restrict a food employee?
A restriction means that the food employee may not work with exposed food, clean utensils and equipment, clean linens and unwrapped foods..
What does it mean to exclude a food employee?
If a food employee needs to be excluded, they may not enter any part of the establishment where food and equipment is stored, prepared or served.
Who is responsible for reporting symptoms or illnesses?
The responsibility to report symptoms or illnesses lies with the staff / employee, and they should be made aware of this requirement when first hired. Symptoms or illnesses should be reported to the person in charge.
What is the role of the person in charge?
The person in charge has many roles. The person in charge must require that employees report any symptoms or illnesses to them, and he must do everything he can to insure that employees are complying with this requirement. In addition, when indicated (see chart), the person in charge must exclude the employee from the establishment or restrict the duties of the employee until the medical condition or symptoms resolve. In many instances, the person in charge will also need to notify the Health Department that they have an ill employee.
What can the person in charge do to encourage employee compliance with the reporting requirement?
If employees will lose time from work, they may be reluctant to report their illnesses to the management. One way to encourage reporting would be to allow a certain number of paid sick days for each employee. In addition, educating the employees about the importance of not working when sick may help motivate them to be responsible and not work when they might pose a risk to customers or other employees. If possible, assign the person to duties which do not put him at risk of contaminating food or infecting other employees.
Below is an Agreement Form you may like to use for additional safety among your Restaurant Employees:
Food Employee Reporting Agreement
Preventing
Transmission of Diseases through Food by
Infected Food Employees
This agreement serves as a sample only. Have your lawyer take a look at it
to make it effective in your establishment.
The purpose of this agreement is to ensure that Restaurant Employees and Applicants who have received a conditional offer of employment notify the Person in Charge when they experience any of the conditions listed so that the Person in Charge can take appropriate steps to preclude the transmission of food borne illness.
I AGREE TO REPORT TO THE PERSON IN CHARGE:
SYMPTOMS
MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS
Whenever diagnosed as being ill with Salmonella Typhoid (typhoid fever), Shigella spp. (shigellosis), Escherichia coli, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus, etc…
PAST MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS
Have you ever been diagnosed as being ill with one of the diseases listed above or any other disease that was contagious? _____
If you have, what was the date of the diagnosis?____________
HIGH-RISK CONDITIONS
1. Exposure to or suspicion of causing any confirmed outbreak of typhoid fever, shigellosis, E. coli infection, or hepatitis A
2. A household member diagnosed with typhoid fever, shigellosis, illness due to E. coli, or hepatitis A
I have read (or had explained to me) and understand the requirements concerning my responsibilities and this agreement to comply with the reporting requirements specified above involving symptoms, diagnoses, and high-risk conditions specified. I also understand that should I experience one of the above symptoms or high-risk conditions, or should I be diagnosed with one of the above illnesses, I may be asked to change my job or to stop working altogether until such symptoms or illnesses have resolved.
I understand that failure to comply with the terms of this agreement could lead to action by the restaurant establishment that may jeopardize my employment.
Applicant or Restaurant Employee Name (please print)
_________________________________________
Signature of Applicant or Restaurant Employee ________________________ Date ________
Signature of Restaurant Manager ______________________________ Date ________